Daily 3 Week 1

 Don't our traditional forms of information communication, notably "the book" and especially "the textbook" contribute to our belief in linear history?


Books in general seem to be very supportive of the linear history theory, because this is a theory that is as simple as listing events in chronological order. Most novels start out with a beginning setting, or sort of starting point, and move forward in time as the story progresses. It is very rare that you could read an entire novel on one event, and the novel would just be explaining this event to the reader. Many books will include other theories of history, such as cyclic, but normally these theories are represented in a more linear style, as opposed to just representing the cyclic theory through events. Textbooks in particular are very linear, especially when they are focused on history. History textbooks will list important events in sequential order, to attempt to point out a "domino effect," which is a main component of the linear theory of history. The modern world, though quickly switching to electronic devices for many researching opportunities, still very much supports the use of textbooks, because they make it easier for students to understand concepts in history. This is a big clue that today's society finds it easier to understand linear history, and there is probably a much bigger belief system shown in linear history than any other theory.